In Our Hearts
by WritelkeUmeanit
Summary: "No matter where we are, no matter for how long we are separated, I will always be searching for you. You will always be in my heart." ( S3, E11 & beyond...) (Chp 1, charming family feels!)
1. Heartfelt

Last night was… wow. I'm still in shock. I guess for the next few months we're going to have to rely on re runs and fan fics. I plan to update a lot. Hope you all join me.

Anyway, this is a little something that I think should have been added to last night's epi. Hope you enjoy!

**In Our Hearts**

Everyone was gathered at the town line. Time was running out. The green smoke could been seen down the road.

A million thoughts were running through Emma's mind. The price of having her son to herself, of having her memories altered, of believing he was always her, it meant losing the rest of her family.

Henry ran to his father for a last hug as tears took Emma's vision. She looked to her parents, her expression pleading for help.

Snow parted from her husband and hurried to her daughter.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Snow said, a teary smile on her face as she cupped Emma's cheeks in her hands. "You'll be okay."

Emma shook her head in argument as drops of salty water fell from her eyes.

"Yes, yes you will be," Snow insisted. "You'll have Henry. It will be as if you never gave him away… that's the life you've always wanted and now you'll have it."

"But I'm... losing you," Emma argued between sobs.

"Just for now. It's just for now," Snow stressed

"You don't … know that," Emma cried.

"Yes I do," Snow said, her smile growing. "Because we are family. And our family _always_ finds each other."

"What I said before," Emma started before taking a breath, trying to gather herself" about wishing… I never gave Henry up… that's true but… not like this. Not at the cost of… losing the rest of my family… I spent my whole life… looking for you… and now-"

"Oh, honey," Snow murmured while wiping away her daughter's tears. "No matter where we are, no matter for how long we are separated, I will always be searching for you. You will always be in my heart."

Those words only caused more tears to fall my Emma's eyes. She put her arms around her mother, her chin resting on Snow's shoulder. Squeezing her eyes shut, she wished for this all to go away. For Pan's curse to just… vanish. For everything to be okay… but it wasn't that easy. It never is.

"I can't do this," Emma whispered.

Snow felt tears falling from her eyes at her daughter's words of struggle. Still, she said, "you have to. For Henry."

"Come with us. Please."

"Oh, Emma, if I could I would. In a heartbeat. You have to know that… all I want, all I've ever wanted is to be with you."

"There isn't much time," Regina's voice reminded them, her words gentle, but full of warning.

Snow forced herself to pull away from her daughter. She met Emma's eyes, her palms holding Emma's cheeks. "I love you, Emma. More than anything."

"I love you too." Emma returned, not bothering to try and stop her tears.

"Your father and I will find you. And we will bring you home," Snow promised.

"But-"

"No buts," Snow said while taking her wedding ring from her finger.

Emma's brows furrowed in confusion when her mother told her to take her necklace off.

"What are you doing?"

"I'll have your baby blanket. It will come with us. But for now, you hold on to this," Snow said while slipping the ring David gave her around Emma's chain. She then put the chain back around her daughter's neck.

Emma looked to the ring that dangled above her heart.

"It belonged to your grandmother. David's mother. He proposed to me and ever since then, even through the curse, I've never taken it off… I know you won't remember us, but you will _always _have a piece of us. Right over your heart."

"Thank you," Emma murmured, unable to take her eyes from the ring.

"No, thank _you. _Thank you for finding us. Thank you for breaking the curse… thank you for giving me my daughter… I won't forget you, Emma. Not ever again."

Emma looked up to Regina. "They'll remember me?"

Regina nodded. "Yes."

"See?" Snow said. "Now go. Take Henry somewhere safe. Live your lives together and before you know it, we will find you."

"We will always find you," David echoed.

Emma looked up to her father.

"I love you, Emma," David said while running over to her. He embraced his daughter in a fierce hug. "Someday soon, my sword, the one you used to kill the dragon, it will be yours again."

Emma couldn't help a small, teary laugh.

Snow turned to see the green smoke getting closer. "Go. Before it's too late," she urged.

"Next time I see you," Emma said while putting her arm around her son's shoulder. "if there's a way I can remember again-"

"there will be. I promise," Snow interrupted, wanting to leave Emma with no doubts.

"I won't hesitate… you'll be mom and dad. That's who are you. That's what I'll call you."

Hearing that made Snow want to take her daughter and just hold onto her forever. But Snow took a breath. She took the words as motivation.

"That day will come," David vowed.

"Go, sweetheart. Please," Snow begged.

Emma closed her eyes for the briefest moment before turning around and hurrying to her car, Henry doing the same.

Emma looked up in the rearview mirror, finding her mother's watery smile.

"We'll find them again," Henry promised. "They're our family."

"I know, kid," Emma murmured quietly.

Emma watched as Regina performed her magic, as she turned the green smoke to purple. As the curse enveloped her family, she pushed on the gas, forcing herself to cross the town line. For good.

TBC...

**Thoughts before you go? Please and thank you! **


	2. All Kinds of Strange

A/U: So me and my new fellow co- author (FaerieTales4ever) decided to take this baby and turn it into an on going story to get us through this hiatus! Yay! lol. Anyway, hope you all enjoy this installment. We'll be back for more soon! Don't forget to leave your thoughts before you go! Love all you oncers!

**Once Upon A Time**

**In Our Hearts**

**Chapter Two: All Kinds of Strange**

Driving down the deserted road, Emma smiled as she glanced over at her son. "Good road trip?" she asked before putting her gaze back to the windshield.

Henry nodded, a large smile on his face.

"Ready to head home?"

"Yeah," Henry agreed while slouching down in his seat, his body tired from all the driving they'd been doing the past day. From all the places they visited along the way.

"Me too… Boston, here we come," Emma sighed.

xoxo

After a bathroom break and too many snack stops, finally, Emma's lips curled to a tired smile at the sight of the 'Welcome to Boston' sign. She peaked over at Henry, her mouth open to say something, but she stopped herself when she found that her son had fallen asleep.

"I hear ya, kid," Emma murmured, her voice quiet. She was ready to fall into bed and call it a night. Another twenty- thirty minutes left, that's what Emma told herself, and she'd be home, her son safe and sound in his room, and her exhausted body curled underneath her thick blanket, her head resting on her comfy pillow. After months spent going from place to place- though they had a blast- the idea of finally going home was a thought that made Emma happy.

With Henry asleep, Emma was all too aware of the silence that filled the car. Some low music wouldn't interrupt Henry's slumber. It never had before. So Emma reached for the radio, turning it up just enough so a quiet song filled her ears. She smiled when after flipping to one station, she stumbled upon a familiar tune, though she couldn't remember where she knew it from, it made her smile as she softly hummed along.

xoxo

They finally reached the apartment building half an hour later and Emma was so exhausted she found it a struggle to keep her eyes open enough to find the car door handle. After opening her door, she looked to the back seat to find that Henry was curled up into a little ball, his hand in a fist near his mouth, as if he'd thought about sucking his thumb in his sleep, but his dream-self had quickly reminded him that thumb sucking was for babies- not twelve year olds. Emma gave a lazy smile and took her phone from her pocket, making sure that the flash was off before snapping a picture. Henry would kill her when he saw it, but she found the shot too adorable to pass up.

With the cell phone safely back where it belonged, Emma leaned into the back seat and gently shook her son awake. "Henry" she murmured in a sing song tone solely reserved for him. "Henry, wake up, we're home."

Slowly, the boy started to stir, "Mom?" he asked drowsily, his bleary eyes only halfway open.

"Hey kid," she smiled.

"Are we home?"

"Yep. You ready to crawl into bed?"

Henry shook his head to say yes as he sat up and undid the seat belt. Emma got out too; she took the keys out of the ignition, shutting the door and locking the car behind her. They could take care of the suitcases tomorrow. Right now, all she wanted was to get upstairs, kick off her shoes and plop into bed. When they reached the door, Emma hit the buzzer.

"Yes," the speaker crackled to life as the night manager Bernard's monotone voice came on the line.

"Hey, Bernie, it's Emma, you mind letting us in? We're zonked."

"Emma? Emma who?"

The blonde rolled her eyes."Swan."

"I'm sorry Miss, but there is no Emma Swan here. Not anymore."

Emma let out an irritated laugh, "Very funny Bern," she said dryly, "Now please open the door; I've been driving for hours."

The voice on the other end sighed, "Miss, I just told you there is no Emma Swan that lives here. Please leave. Or I'll have to call the cops."

Emma looked at Henry, who shrugged. "Look Bernard, I know I've been gone a while, but unless you've been beige drinking again, I do live here."

The other end of the line stayed silent for a moment. The blonde stopped her foot in annoyance. It was eleven freaking o'clock at night and she'd just spent six hours on the freeway. She did not have the patience for this. "Emma. Swan." she repeated through gritted teeth, "bounty hunter. Been here for what, five years? Any of this ringing a bell?"

The front door buzzed, Thank God Emma thought. that is, until Bernard came back on the speaker. "Come to the office, Emma."

She raised her brows in suspicion at the tone of his voice, but did as she was asked.

"Henry, wait here," Emma said, leading him to one of the plush chairs outside of the door that read MANAGEMENT. The kid obeyed, curling up in the chair and resting his head in the crock of his arm. Emma turned and opened the door, stalking toward the light mahogany desk. "What is it Bernard? I'm too tired to deal with your jokes right now."

"Emma," said the quickly balding man as he looked up from his papers, "What are you doing here?" he asked, one part shock, two parts curiosity laced into his voice.

Huh? "What the hell do you mean what am I doing here?" she asked, leaning over his desk. "I live here."

The manager's brows furrowed in confusion. "No you don't. You signed a re rental lease months ago, even had all your stuff shipped to some weird little town in Maine. Storybooke or something?" he chucked, "What a weird name."

The picture of a sign that read, 'LEAVING STORYBROOKE' suddenly flashed through Emma's mind, but as quickly as it came, was as fast as it vanished. Must be exhaustion. she thought to herself.

Emma looked back to Bernard. Was he on crack or something? She'd never had anything shipped anywhere, and to Maine of all places?! Yes, it was the last stop on their road trip, but they'd never lived there. She and Henry had only stayed in the state not even a day before deciding to end their road trip and come home.

"There has to be a mistake. I didn't sign anything."

The man sighed while turning around, his chair on wheels, allowing him to easily face the file cabinet behind him. He pulled open the second drawer, then plucked a manilla envelope from the bunch and then flipping through the documents inside. When he found what he was looking for, he slid the crisp white paper across the desk and snapped the folder shut, placing it back in the cabinet and closing the drawer with a metallic slam. Then he swiveled toward her and folded his hands under his chin. "Is this or is this not, a re-rental lease form?" He asked the blonde, eyeing her.

Emma read the top of the sheet, "Yes, it is."

"And is that or is that not, you're signature at the bottom of the form?"

Emma looked down to see that her sloppy scrawl was indeed at the bottom of the piece of paper. She raised an eyebrow and looked at the date. Last year? But they'd only left in June. it was July now. They'd only been gone a month! "Bernie, i never-"

"Is that or is it not your signature Miss. Swan?" he pressed, determined to prove his point take his duties seriously, despite the friendship they once had.

Emma sighed, "Yes it is, but I-"

"Then I'm afraid," he raised his hand to cut her off, "there's nothing I can do to help you. A new tenant has already settled in your old apartment."

"But where are we going to go!?" Emma demanded, her thoughts swirling. "I have a kid to raise! You can't just kick me out!"

"When did you get a kid?" he asked, the thought shocking him enough to raise his brows in question. "When you came here, you bought the apartment alone. And Emma, no offense, but you… a kid… really?" he asked. "Are you messing with me?"

Emma groaned. Yep, he was definitely on crack.

"I'm sorry, Emma," Bernie said, sincerity in his voice. They'd known each other for years, but regardless, he had to do his job. "I don't know if… I don't know, maybe something happened to while you were gone but… it doesn't matter. You signed your apartment away. There's no vacancies here. You have to go. Or I'll be forced to call the cops. You know I don't want to, but-"

"Yeah, I get it," Emma said while standing from her chair. "Bye, Bernie," she said before turning from the office, letting the door fall closed behind her.

Emma walked down the hall, towards the chair where her son was dozing off. What a crazy, hectic, strange night. What the hell was wrong with Bernie?

"Mom?" a groggy Henry asked.

Snapping from her thoughts, Emma looked to her sleepy son. "Hang on a minute, kiddo."

Henry nodded, just barely, too tired to question where she was going. Emma put a quick kiss to his forehead before turning down the hall.

"Prove him wrong," Emma murmured to herself before heading to the staircase, taking the stairs by two as she raced to the second floor. Emma ran across the carpeted floor while pulling her keys from her pocket. When she spotted apartment 205, she found the right key and stuck it in the lock, a smile on her face… but quickly her smile was wiped away when she found her key didn't work.

"What the hell?" Emma questioned.

Suddenly the door opened, an older man appearing on other side.

"Can I help you?" the man questioned

Emma put her hand behind her back, hiding her keys. "Do you live here?"

The man's brows furrowed in question. "Yes. Why?"

"But… I…" Emma stuttered, her mind racing. What the hell was going on? Then her eyes wandered to the door. It even looked different. It was painted brown. That wasn't her door.

"Miss? Are you alright?" the man asked.

"Yeah, uh.. fine… just… sorry to bother you… wrong apartment."

"Okay," the man said. "Have a nice night."

"You too," Emma murmured before turning away. She walked down the hall, her feet moving slowly until she found she couldn't go on any further. She stopped, her body collapsing to the ground, her head falling to the wall behind her.

What the hell had happened while she was away? Emma had no idea. She had no clue what to do now.

_TBC…_

**Thoughts before you go? Please and thank you!**

**( As far as the time line… we figure that Regina said the last year will be erased from Emma's mind, so a year was spent in SB? just to explain convo in Bernie's office.)**


	3. A New Adventure

My fellow co author and I (FaerieTales4ever) would like to thank you all for the crazy amounts of love you've been giving this story! So glad you're liking it! Hope you all enjoy this next installment :D

Any comments or questions, feel free to ask! :D

**Once Upon A Time**

**In Our Hearts**

**Chapter 3: A New Adventure**

Finally, Emma peeled herself off the carpeted floor. Having a mini breakdown wasn't going to help anyone. Besides, that was not how she operated. She'd always told Henry to try and make the best out of a crappy situation; now it was time to take her own advice. She made her way back down the hall, making sure to keep her features as cheery as possible but realized the facade was unnecessary when she found Henry had fallen asleep. The blonde smiled as she picked him up. Damn kid, Emma thought, when did you get so heavy?

xoxo

_Startled awake by a crash of thunder, Emma's eyes flew open. She looked to the clock and groaned at the time. 2:13 a.m. Emma sighed at the thought of the long day ahead. Her job was demanding and difficult; not your average 9-5 with a guaranteed paycheck. Being paid on delivery was a little risky, yes, but being a bounty hunter, when Emma did get paid, it was a hefty check._

_Emma crawled out of bed and reached up to close the blinds just as a bright streak of lightning flashed across the sky. There was one hell of a storm raging outside. Emma cringed at the scene before climbing back into bed and pulling the comforter to her chin. Just as she was about to close her eyes and try and fall back asleep, she heard the pitter patter of little feet on the floor and a small whimper as thunder cracked outside the window._

_Shit. she thought. The storm must've woken Henry. Sure enough, when she rolled onto her other side, a pair of wide hazel eyes were peeking over the edge of the bed._

_"Mommy?" Henry whispered fearfully, holding tightly to his favorite fairytale book and fluffiest stuffed dinosaur._

_"Hey, kid," Emma whispered, "Did the storm scare you?"_

_Henry quickly shook his head no, shaggy brown hair swinging, "but Prince thought we should come check on you," he said, showing her his T-rex as proof._

_Emma smiled, trying to hold back a chuckle, "Well. I'm fine, but why don't you and Prince come up here with me just to make sure."_

_Henry smiled and eagerly jumped onto the bed, snuggling against his mother. He clung to her shirt as the next clap of thunder shook the room. "Prince doesn't like storms," her son's voice trembled, "he says they're too loud."_

_Emma hugged him closer and picked up his fairytale book, "Maybe if we read loud enough, we won't hear the storm," she suggested, "Do you want to try?"_

_Henry nodded eagerly._

_"Alright, which story would you like me to read?" she asked._

_"Snow White, Snow White!" her son enthused happily. Emma chuckled as she flipped to his favorite tale. It was the one he always asked for on nights like this, though Emma never knew why he liked it so much. The Disney princess was far too delicate for her taste. But it made Henry happy; and so that's what they read._

_"Once upon a time there lived a girl whose skin was as white as Snow, her heart the purest in all the land …"_

_Halfway through, Emma found that her son was snoring peacefully. She smiled as she picked him up and put him back in his dinosaur shaped bed. She leaned down and kissed his forehead, "Goodnight, my little prince."_

xoxo

Emma couldn't help a soft smile at the memory as she clumsily settled her 12 year old into bed. Struggling to carry him just reminded her that her baby boy was growing up. No longer was he toddler running to her room during thunderstorms. Emma frowned at the thought as Henry's half asleep body curled up into the foreign bed.

xoxo

The next morning, the blonde dragged herself out of bed. Henry wanted to sleep in, but the hotel phone gave them both a rude awaking, asking if they'd like housekeeping in half an hour. Emma had grumbled okay, still half asleep. though she wanted nothing more to just stay under the warm, comfy comforter… until a bell rang in her head. Work. Oh God, she thought. If Bernie gave her damn _house_ away after just a month, who knew what had happened at her job.

Quickly, Emma and Henry showered then dressed in one of the few clean outfits still left in their suitcases before scarfing down breakfast and heading out the door.

"Where we goin?" Henry asked from the passenger seat of the bug, a half eaten frosted donut in his hand. "Home? How come we slept at a hotel last night?" he asked curiously.

"Long story, kid," Emma said distractedly, her thoughts clouded with worries about… well, everything... Her apartment was taken away… going back to work, what would that- Emma closed her eyes for the briefest second, forcing herself to stop her train of thought and focus on the road ahead. She'd deal with whatever oddness would come next. She wouldn't lose her job too. Enough was enough.

Henry's look of curiosity turned to a frown. "But are we going home now?"

Emma glanced at her son, unable to hide her frown. Henry immediately picked up on her worrisome expression.

"Something bad happened," he said. It wasn't a question.

"Something weird," Emma corrected, her voice a grumble. "There was… I don't know, some kind of mistake… I guessed I signed something without realizing… I don't know, Henry," she sighed in relent.

Henry frowned further at her raw honesty. She was at a loss. He could hear it in her voice, see it on her face.

"So we… we don't… we're homeless?" he stuttered.

"Don't worry about it, okay?" Emma said, showing her son a smile of reassurance. "We'll crash at the hotel for a while until we find a new place. It's gonna be okay. I promise."

"Pinky swear?" Henry asked.

Emma couldn't help a small smile of amusement at Henry's outstretched pinky. She hooked her longer finger around his shorter one. "Promise."

"Okay," Henry said, a touch of worry still lingering in his voice before he took a small bite of his donut.

xoxo

Emma parked in front of a small building, telling Henry to wait in the car.

"Where are we?"

"Work. I'll be right back," Emma said before darting inside.

Henry nodded, watching her go as he leaned back in his seat.

Ten minutes later, Henry found himself growing restless. He was about to get up and go inside to check on his mom when he spotted her coming from the front door, a white envelope in her hand. He waited patiently for her to get into the car and explain what had happened. But when Emma started the car and begun driving without a word said, Henry opened his mouth.

"Mom?" he asked hesitantly.

"We're all good, kid," Emma said quickly.

Henry's face turned to a look of confusion, a few small creases appearing between his brows. "What happened in there?"

"We're moving."

"What?" he asked in shock.

"I've been transferred. To New York."

"Manhattan? We're going to the city?" the boy asked excitedly.

Emma nodded, glad to hear he was happy about the decision. Truth is, her boss acted just as strangely as Bernie. She had to beg for her job back. Remind him that she was the best bounty hunter he knew. But staying in Boston wasn't an option. He offered her a choice. Go to Manhattan. Be on call at the drop of a hat. There'd be an apartment ready and waiting for her in the city… or leave. No job. No place to live.

Emma argued at first, saying being on call 24/7 with a kid was just… it would be nearly impossible. Her boss looked at her like she head four heads when she brought up Henry. Why the mention of her son kept earning her that reaction baffled the hell out of her. But her boss just shrugged at her complaints. He did ease her mind though, saying she wouldn't' have to report to him. Most importantly, she was on call, any time of day or night, to go wherever, whenever. To track down anyone, any time, at anyplace.

"If not here, then where?"

Joe sighed and said. "Manhattan."

"New York?" Emma question in disbelief at the distance.

The man nodded. "Big city. Lots of assholes screwing around… you were always good at catching bad guys, Emma. You know how to find people."

Not the right people, Emma thought while sighing and falling back into her seat.

"Look, I'll be frank with you, Emma," the man said, his tone rough. "I don't know where the hell you've been the past year. You up and left. Didn't say a word to anyone. I should be tossing your ass out the door, but you're right about what you said. You were the best bounty hunter I had."

Damn right, Emma thought.

"One more chance, Swan," The man warned. "I don't know what the deal is with this kid you have. You never said anything about a kid before. Never saw you with one," he said, his expression hard. "But that doesn't concern me. What does is whether or not I can trust you not to fuck me over again."

Emma thought about questioning what he was talking about. A year? She wasn't gone a year. But arguing didn't work well with Bernie; Emma didn't want to chance losing an opportunity at keeping her job. "I'm back. I'm not going anywhere," she said firmly. "I'm sorry I left. But I'm all in."

Joe eyed her for a moment before sighing and pulling open a file cabinet. "Then you'll be off to Manhattan."

"Since when did you expand?" Emma questioned.

"A lot happened in the year you were gone," he said hastily. "My brother is over there. You'll report to him. But you've got one chance, Emma. That's it. You lose one guy and you're done."

Emma nodded in understanding.

"Then I guess this is the last time I'll be seeing you. Here's the address of my brother's office," he said while handing her an envelope. "I'll call him, let him know you're on the way. He'll set you up with a place to live."

"Thanks," Emma murmured while accepting the envelope.

"Don't thank me. You think I'm a hard ass? Wait till you meet my brother."

And that was that. Emma took the envelope and went out to the car. At least a four hour journey was ahead. But hearing her son happy about the move made the idea a little easier for Emma to cope with.

"We've never been to New York before," Henry said with a smile. "A new adventure."

"Yeah, kid," Emma agreed. "A new adventure."

_TBC..._

**Thoughts before you go? Please and thank you! Hope you enjoyed!**


	4. Storybook Memories

Before we kick off this next installment, as always, my co author and I (FaerieTales4ever) want to thank you all for the continued support! We really love this idea and have some big plans for you all!

As far as the timeline spent in SB, I get a little confused about that lol. But from interviews I've seen Jen Morrison give, during one of them she talked about how only a few months passed until she broke curse. Then it seemed like only a few months passed during S2. And S3 picked up right where S2 left off and we saw that only a few weeks were spent in NL… so for this story we're going to say a year was spent in SB… cause its all too damn confusing lol. Hope that's okay!

By the way, for those on FB who want to join a new, super cool Fan Fiction group, please, feel free to join us! Here's the link! groups/670560769663505/ (copy and paste into your browser :D)

Please excuse the long A/N and now you may read on! Enjoy!

**Once Upon A Time**

**In Our Hearts**

**Chapter Four: Storybook Memories**

They'd been driving for about an hour when Emma heard Henry's stomach grumble, the sound causing her to smirk. "Hungry, kid?"

"A little," he admitted sheepishly, "can we stop somewhere?"

Twenty minutes later, the blonde pulled off at a little mom and pop diner on the side of the rode. She couldn't help but think that it reminded her of a place she thought she'd seen before. The structure of the building, the large windows... it seemed familiar. Emma's brows furrowed in thought, as a sign that read _Granny's_ flashed through her brain. But only for a split second... then it disappeared. Emma cut the engine, her brows furrowing at her apparently- as of recently- wonky memory.

"Granny's," Emma murmured in thought, trying to get her mind to conjure more. To recall something, anything to match the name.

"What?" Henry asked at her quiet voice.

The blond just shook her head, banishing the faint thought while cutting the engine. Though she couldn't help but wonder about the name. Where the hell had she seen that sign before?

Henry shrugged while climbing out of the passenger seat and together they went into the restaurant. The waitress, Rebecca, set them up at a table near the window. After placing their orders- a burger and fries with a chocolate milkshake for Henry, and a grilled cheese and lemonade for Emma- Henry started asking questions again.

"So mom," he began to ask. "Not that I'm not excited about going to the big city or anything," he began. Emma raised her brows, waiting for a big question to come. One she guessed she wouldn't like. "But happened at work? Didn't your boss know we were going on a road trip? Are you in trouble?" he asked worriedly.

"Not in trouble," she assured her son's worries. "I know I told Joe we were leaving…He's just... I wouldn't…" Emma's voice fell faint as her forehead wrinkled in thought as she tried to recall the conversation… but she couldn't remember talking to him about a road trip. But she was sure did. She wouldn't have just up and left without telling him.

"Mom?" Henry called, trying to jar her from her thoughts.

Emma shook head, trying to clear her thoughts, and looked to her son. "Crazy guy thought we were gone for a year," Emma said with a smile, trying to make light of the situation. Then, to herself she murmured, "just like Bernie,"

Henry furrowed his brow and gave a breathy laugh. He could tell his mom was trying to be upbeat for his sake. Trying to act like it was no big deal that their lives had been turned upside down overnight. He tried to go along with it, but this didn't make any sense. Why did everyone think that they'd been gone for so long?

The boy searched for a distraction from his tangled thoughts, and his eyes lit up when he saw something across the street. "Hey mom, look!" he said excitedly, shaking her arm lightly and pointing outside, "There's a book store across the street! Can we go? Please?!" he gave her his best puppy dog eyes and she softly smiled. "If I had a book to read, it would help make the trip go by faster" he said with a grin, trying to entice her into allowing him to buy something. He also hoped the book store had some candy at the register. He had a sweet tooth, just like his mother.

Emma smiled at his excitement over something so simple as a book store. "Sure, kid."

Henry quickly and obediently munched on his burger. As soon as he was done, he leapt up from the table, barely giving his mother enough time to pay the bill before pulling her across the street and into the store.

xoxo

As soon as he stepped foot through the door, Henry's eyes lit up when he spotted a comic book section. Emma gave a lazy smile as she watched him run off to the far corner of the store. After watching him browse for a moment, Emma found herself wandering around. Her eyes lazily scanned the shelves when they stumbled upon a thick green book, the words, Disney's Fairy Tales scrolled along the spine. Mindlessly, Emma reached for the book, her fingertips almost touching the words when a small voice jarred her from her daze.

"Find something too, mom?"

Emma snapped from her revere and turned to her son. "Just looking."

Henry's eyes went to the book she had been reaching for. "Oh, fairytales!" he shouted excitedly. "You used to read Snow White to me all the time when I was little. We used to watch the movie too."

"Every weekend you made me watch that movie," Emma said with a smirk. "It was your favorite."

"Can we get it? I only want one comic book. Please?" he asked.

Emma couldn't help but say yes at his pleading voice and large eyes. With the nod of approval, Henry grabbed the book and raced to the counter, calling for his mom to hurry up before the line gets longer.

Truth be told, Emma wanted the book too… though she wasn't sure why. All the times she used to read stories to Henry… well, at a certain point, she got tired of them. Tired of their happy endings. Tired of how easy it was for them… real life didn't work that way. At least not for her… but seeing the book now… she wasn't sure why, but a voice in her head told her she needed to have it.

"Mom?!" Henry called impatiently from the counter. "Is it okay if I get some candy too? If I do the total is- wait, how much?" he asked the cashier. After getting his answer, he turned around and said, "22.50."

Through a sigh paired with a smile, Emma nodded while heading towards the counter.

xoxo

In the car Henry immediately took the book out of the bag, a large smile on his face as he spread it over his lap. He then reached into the store bag for the chocolate bar he got at the book store.

"Hope you plan on sharing some of that," Emma said with raised brows, a look that warned him that she was taking some whether he liked it or not.

With a smile, Henry broke the bar in half and handed some to his mother.

"Thanks," Emma said with a smirk before taking a bite.

"Thanks for my book," Henry returned. "And the candy."

"Anytime, kid," Emma said, her eyes on the road.

With a growing smile, Henry looked to the book and opened to the story of Snow White.

"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," Henry read aloud.

Emma expected to hear more. but he grew quiet. As she slowed to a stop for a red light she peaked over at her son and said, "Something wrong?"

"No," the boy answered quickly, though he couldn't stop his brows from being furrowed in thought.

"Looks like you're thinking pretty hard about something."

"It's just… the title," he said helplessly.

"What about it?" Emma asked, confused. That was the same title she remembered reading to him as a kid.

Suddenly, a picture popped into Henry's mind. He saw a dwarf. Someone called him Grumpy. Then Grumpy shouted to another dwarf, calling him Stealthy, yelling for him to watch out. But Stealthy got shot by an arrow. Henry frowned further at the scene that took over his mind's eye.

"What is it, kid?" Emma asked with concern.

Henry closed his eyes, trying to bring back the image. But now it was fuzzy. The faces were blurred. All he could remember was the name. "Stealthy," he murmured.

"Stealthy?" Emma questioned.

"There was another dwarf," Henry said without hesitation. "Stealthy."

"You lost me."

"Grumpy, Sneezy, Dopey, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Doc. Those are the seven dwarfs."

"Right..." Emma agreed, her forehead wrinkled in wonder about where he was going with this.

"But that's wrong. There's another one. Stealthy. Or I mean there was. He was killed."

"Stealthy?" Emma asked again. She was ready to ask where he heard that when she found the name ringing a bell in her head. "Let me see that," Emma said while taking the book from him. "Tell me when the light turns green."

Henry nodded in agreement. Emma looked to the book, to the picture of all of the dwarfs that accompanied the title page. Under each dwarf was their name. Just seven dwarfs. No one named Stealthy.

"The book you used to read to me was just like that. I know we never read about another dwarf, but… nevermind," Henry stopped, not wanting her to think he was going crazy or something.

"No, kid, say it," Emma prodded gently.

Henry looked to his mother, his face frowning. He bit his lip, "I saw it in my head. Just now. I saw Stealthy get shot by an arrow… I guess I just imagined it or something."

Emma showed her son a smile before looking back to the book. She'd been having some weird flashbacks too… but not of fairytale characters… still, there was something about the name… Stealthy… Emma couldn't shake the feeling that it sounded familiar.

"Green light," Henry said.

"Right," Emma said while sliding the book back to her son and gently stepping on the gas pedal.

xoxo

A couple of hours later spent on the road and Emma found the address she was searching for. She met with Joe's brother, Matt, who was a thousand times grumpier than her previous boss who always wore a sour face. But Emma didn't let his demeanor get to her.

"I hear you have a kid. All I got is a one bedroom."

"That's fine," Emma dismissed while taking the keys and a piece of paper that had the address to her new apartment. Along with her first assignment.

It was a brief meeting. Emma was glad. But on her way out, Matt's thick, grumbly voice stopped her.

"Apparently you're the best Joe's ever had."

Emma gave a small smile.

His face solemn, the man said, "I'll believe it when I see it."

With that, Emma turned and left.

xoxo

Walking into their new apartment, Henry's eyes grew as wide as flying saucers. He immediately ran inside, wanting to explore. Emma showed her son a smile. When he disappeared from sight, she sighed while dropping the keys on the counter. The apartment was nice. The kitchen was set up with new appliances and even had an island in the middle of the room. Emma wasn't much of a cook. She could do the basics, but still even she could appreciate how nice the kitchen was.

As Emma walked further into the room, she smiled at the two large windows in the living room that filled the place with natural sunlight. Emma stepped up to the window, letting the rays fill her skin. She closed her eyes, took a steady breath and told herself she could do this. She could start over her. As long as she had Henry, didn't' matter where she was; she'd be okay.

"Hey, mom," Henry called, breaking Emma from her ponderings. "There's only one bedroom."

"Yeah, sorry about that," she apologized. "This was the only place my boss could get me."

Henry shrugged. "I don't mind. We could get another bed. Or I could sleep out here on the couch."

"Don't be silly. You're not crashing on the couch every night. We'll get another bed tomorrow." Emma said, showing her son a smile. "Now why don't you go unpack. You can have the bed tonight. I'll take the couch."

"No, I'll take the couch," the boy argued. "I'll just unpack real quick," he said before dashing for the bedroom, leaving no room for argument.

Emma sighed at his stubbornness, though she knew she only had herself to blame for that.

xoxo

It was late. Emma couldn't sleep. She couldn't take her thoughts away from the whirlwind of crazy that been going on the last couple of days. All they did was go on a road trip. They come back, their apartment is gone and she was too close to being without a job. Now here she was, in a new apartment, in a new city, working for a new boss… it was all a lot to handle.

With her mind too awake to allow her body to fall into slumber, Emma wandered out of bed. She padded down the hall and into the living room. A smile brightened her face when she saw Henry's sleeping form cuddled up on the couch. She kissed his forehead, then carefully untangled the blanket from his legs and pulled it to his chest when in doing so she spotted his new fairy tale book open on the floor. Emma walked around the couch, wanting to pick up the book so Henry wouldn't step on it when waking up. But her brows furrowed in confusion when next to it, she saw a small notepad, the one she kept in her purse. It was open, Henry's hand writing filling a page.

_-Dont remember a lot about story from when I was little. But this story doesn't seem right._

-_Snow White isn't weak. She can shoot a bow and arrow and fight. She isn't afraid of anything._

-_Grumpy wasn't always Grumpy. He had another name. Something with a D. Can't remember._

-_There was an eighth dwarf. Stealthy. Killed by an arrow_

-I_ keep seeing things in my head about Snow White. I feel like I know her. But when I see her in my head its fuzzy_

-_Something is wrong with this story. Why am I seeing different things in my head? Maybe there's something wrong with me_.

Emma's eyes grew wide as she read the list. She looked to her son. Then to the fairy tale book lying on the floor.

_TBC…_

**Thoughts before you go? Please and thank you! Hope you enjoyed!**


	5. Breaking Point

A/N: Thank you all for the continued support and love! In regards to Henry, my co author( FaerieTales4ever ) and I are gonna be all coy and say… well… that boy does have the heart of the truest believer ;)

**In Our Hearts:**

**Chapter Five: Breaking Point**

A month had passed since Emma moved she and Henry into their new NYC apartment. Four weeks had gone by since Emma started working for Matt, who's reputation didn't do him justice; He was far grumpier than Joe warned and liked to bark out orders. Constantly. He also hated children. But Emma dealt with it.

So far, in the month she'd been in NYC, she'd thrown more than a handful of bad guys behind bars, making enough to meet ends meet.. and them some… work was fine. Dealing with her jack ass of a boss… Emma could handle it… But what was happening at home… That, Emma was having a hard time with.

The next day after moving in, Emma took her son to go mattress hunting. She didn't bring up the notes he jotted down the previous night. She let it be, thinking he was half asleep, thinking his dreams made him write silly things. They found a twin bed. Henry jumped right on it, testing it out. With a smile, he looked to his mom and said, "I'll take it." With a smile, Emma looked to the sale's man. "What the kid said."

Emma put the mattress into their shared bedroom. They soon settled into their place… but something was off. Henry wasn't acting like himself.

Just a few days after moving in, Emma woke to find his fairy tale book and notepad peaking out from underneath his bed just enough for it to catch her eye. What she read made her frown in concern.

_"Cinderella made a deal with Rumpelstiltskin. That's how her dreams came true. It wasn't her Fairy Godmother at all. Rumpelstiltskin killed her fairy Godmother and took her wand. I saw it last night…"_

This happened every night. Emma couldn't understand it. His dreams.. according to what he was writing, they were so detailed. Every night her son wrote tales of different stories than what could be found in your run of the mill fairy tale book. The things Henry wrote, they made her worry… Emma didn't know, but what Henry was seeing, they made him worry as well.

Emma was sure she'd never read stories like what her son was penning ...yet… well... it was odd. Some of the things Emma read, some of his notes… they struck a chord with her, in her heart. She felt something; a sensation of familiarity. On one particular morning, Emma read something about Snow White.

_"Snow White and Prince Charming have a daughter. They had to save her… they put her in a magical wardrobe. She had to escape the curse."_ While reading that, Emma absentmindedly touched the ring that dangled over her chest. But then the phone rang, snapping Emma her from her daze, her fingers falling from the emerald diamond ring hanging over her heart. She blinked back to reality, and then slid the book and his notes back underneath his bed, her mind filled with worries and thoughts of… well, curiosity.

Whenever Emma read Henry's version of the fairytales, she couldn't figure out why they were pulling her in… why they put her in a such a strange… trance. Things were just… well, they were getting weird. Emma attributed the odd feelings to lack of sleep. She spent night after night worrying about her son.

One morning, about two weeks after having moved in, Emma brought the subject up during breakfast. "So," she said, casually as she could, "are you enjoying your new book?"

Henry sucked in a breath and couldn't help his eyes from widening. Then he quickly glanced down at his plate and took a big fork full of pancakes and shoved them into his mouth. "It's good," he mumbled while chewing, his eyes glued to his food.

Emma sighed at his short response, but she didn't want to push him… yet those notes were starting to worry her. Ever since he got the book, he'd become closed off to the rest of the world. He'd been in his new school for days and spoke of no friends. He never wanted to go out after school with her, even for ice cream, which he loved. Vanilla with chocolate chips was his favorite flavor. Emma tried time and time again to entice him. Anything. The store, the park, a movie… most of the time Henry wanted nothing more than to cuddle up on the couch or hide away in the bedroom and read. He wanted to be alone.

After a month of this, Henry's behavior was scaring Emma. She thought maybe the move, maybe the new place, maybe it was just affecting him… at least, thats what she kept telling herself… but then she got a call from his school. Emma rushed down right away. When she talked to the principal, she knew that she couldn't ignore his behavior any longer. She had to do something.

_TBC…_

**Cliffy, hehehe… yes, I know, I'm evil… anyhow, short and maybe sweet? :D Hope ya liked! Don't forget to review before you go!**

**P.S - check out my profile page for a link to a super cool FB group called 'OUAT Fan Fictions & Creations' Join us! :D**


	6. You & Me Against the World

**A/N:**

Sorry for the wait! Gah! Hopefully you all like this next installment. It may be short but don't be fooled by its size! Good things come in small packages, hehehehe!

As always, my co author (**FaerieTales4ever**) and I would like to thank all you readers/reviewers for the continued support!

(P.S- For those of you who read one of my other fics, **Storybrooke, Maine**, I've had a bit of writer's block but thanks to a brainstorming session with my co author on this story, I've got a plan! New chapter for **SBM** coming soon!)

**Once Upon A Time**

**In Our Hearts**

**Chapter 6: You and Me Against the World**

The call from the school left Emma perplexed. The woman on the other end said she needed to get down there right away, to go straight to the principal's office. But that didn't make any sense; only the bad kid's parent's got called to come see the principal. Kids who fought in the halls. Kids who got detention… those were the ones whose parents got calls from the school… but Henry? No. Something was wrong. Her son wasn't a troublemaker; far from it… he may have been a little quiet lately, a bit to himself… but that was it… how could that get him into trouble?

Her forehead wrinkled in confusion, Emma put the phone to the counter and swiped her car keys. Whatever was going on, she was about to find out.

xoxo

After parking haphazardly in front of the school, Emma jogged up the path to the main door. She was going full speed ahead, but was stopped at the door by an attendant.

"I got a call," Emma explained impatiently. "I'm Henry's mom. Henry Swan."

The man smiled. "The principal's office is down the hall and to the left."

"Thanks," Emma murmured before hurrying through the halls. She nearly burst into the office to find her son sitting in a chair, alone, his face fallen. Immediately she bent to the boy.

"Hey, kid," she said, her voice soft.

When Henry looked up at her with eyes red and puffy from past tears. The sight broke Emma's heart.

Before Emma could ask what happened, a deep voice called her attention.

"Miss Swan?"

The blond turned to the voice while standing. "Yes. I got a call to come down immediately."

"If you could come with me," the man said while gesturing to his office. Emma nodded. But first she looked to her son and said, "I'll be right back."

Henry barely nodded, his eyes glued to the floor.

Emma frowned further while following the man in the nice suit and tie into his private office.

"Please, have a seat, Miss Swan."

Mutely, Emma sat down on the other side of the man's desk as he went around to sit in his big brown office chair.

"What happened?" Emma asked anxiously.

"There was a confrontation in the boy's locker room, involving your son," the principal started to explain.

"Confrontation?" Emma asked in disbelief. "What do you mean? Henry doesn't cause confrontations. He's the most calm, level headed person I know."

"It's not what you think, Miss Swan… your son isn't the one who will be facing consequences."

That just made Emma's brows furrow in confusion.

"Apparently Henry left his gym locker open… some of the boys heard him talking about fairytales and… well, they found this," the man explained while pulling Henry's Disney book from a drawer in his desk.

"That's Henry's," Emma said, her voice quiet as she took the book.

"They found this too," the principal went on while showing Emma a small notebook, one she instantly recognized… night after night Henry was writing down what his dreams told him. His versions of the beloved fairy tales.

"It seems the boys thought it would be fun to rip some of the pages apart."

Emma looked to the book as the principal opened the first page of the notebook. He then carefully flipped through each of them, showing Emma that pages were ripped, some torn out.

"Damn it," Emma muttered underneath her breath.

"We don't tolerate bullying here, Miss Swan. And I can assure you, the boys responsible are being held accountable. Your son did absolutely nothing wrong. He isn't in trouble… but as you can see, he seems embarrassed."

"I can imagine," Emma murmured, her heart broken at the sight of the vandalized notebook.

"I think it would be best if you take him home for the day."

Emma nodded in agreement.

"I'd also like to recommend some counseling, for what he's been through today," The principal explained… "And well… Miss Swan… your son is 11 years old… writing about fairytales-"

"What?" Emma asked defensively. "There's nothing wrong with what he's doing. What's wrong is those kids making fun of him for it."

"You're one hundred percent correct, but, Miss Swan…" The principal sighed. "But the problem is... well, Miss Swan, you know that Henry isn't a small child anymore… while, yes, I agree, he can read whatever he chooses-"

"Yes, he can," Emma cut in, her voice harsh.

"I'm not condoning what those boys did."

"How are they being punished?" Emma demanded.

"A week of in school suspension. Any other instances, and they will be expelled from the school."

Emma nodded, though she wasn't fully satisfied with the punishment. In her opinion, they should have gotten expelled right there and then.

"Miss Swan, I'm suggesting that perhaps Henry see the school counselor. Maybe once a week? So he can talk to someone about what happened, so he can-"

"He has me. He doesn't need anyone else to talk to," Emma said while standing up, taking the books in her hands. "Thanks, but I've got it from here," she said before turning from her chair and leaving the room.

The principal sighed.

As Emma closed the door behind her, Henry looked up. "Come on, kid," Emma said, her voice kind, a soft smile on her face. "We're going home."

xoxo

Back at the apartment, Emma shrugged off her coat as Henry glumly followed her inside. He hadn't said a word the whole ride home. When Emma opened the door, he dropped his backpack to the floor and went straight to the couch, his eyes on the carpeted floor. Emma frowned. How to break the silence? She wasn't sure, though after a moment of thought, she had an idea.

"Hey kid? How bout we order some pizza for dinner? And then maybe later we can go to that little ice cream shop you like? The one with the chocolate dipped cones?" That ought to get him, she thought smugly.

But all she got in response was a mumbled, "No thanks," his voice barely audible. "I'll just be inside," he said while standing up, his sights set on their shared room.

"Henry, wait," Emma said, the stern tone of her voice surprising the both of them.

The boy turned around listlessly, his shoes scuffing the floor, "Yeah?" he grumbled, looking longingly at the stairs.

Emma put a small smile on her face. "We need to talk," she said, her words gentle.

Henry looked up at his mom, Emma frowning at the expression of defeat he wore.

"Henry, what happened today?"

"Nothing," her son shrugged, clearly lying. "Just some stupid boys."

"They found your books."

Henry nodded.

Carefully, Emma put the books on the kitchen counter while approaching her son. She bent to his eye level, a smile on her face as she took his hands.

"What they did… it wasn't okay, Henry. And they're being punished for it."

"Doesn't matter… they were right."

Emma frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I shouldn't… I can't… I'm too old for it… for that book" he stuttered.

"No," Emma said, shaking her head at his words. "You can read whatever you want. I'm the only one you have to run things by, got it? And I say its okay that you read that. More than okay," she said, her voice firm yet calm. "You're never too old for fairy tales, Henry."

"Yes, I am," he argued stubbornly. "Little kids read fairy tales. They believe in them… I shouldn't... I'm not a little anymore," he countered, his words full of sadness.

"Henry-"

"I'm tired. Can I please go upstairs?"

Emma wanted to argue further but her son was clearly worn out. He needed a break. Emma nodded while standing and letting him walk away. He was halfway up the stairs when Emma's voice stopped him. He turned to look at her.

"I love you, kid."

"Love you too," he returned, his voice low before he continued the journey to the loft.

xoxo

Maybe a half hour went by before Emma found herself growing too antsy to stay down stairs. She tried flipping on the tv but couldn't focus on anything. Not too soon after she sat down, she hastily threw the remote to the couch and got to her feet. She started pacing before wandering over to the kitchen to clean a few dirty dishes, but the task just frustrated her.

Emma lazily slid a wet plate to the counter, not bothering to put a towel underneath it. Her eyes went to the loft. She took a breath, then headed for her bedroom.

Emma gently pushed open the slightly closed door. She found Henry lying in her bed, his eyes open.

"Can't sleep?"

The boy didn't answer.

Emma walked further into the room, approaching the bed. "Scootch over, kid."

Henry moved over enough to allow his mother to sit next to him.

"Want me to go down there and kick some butt? Cause I will. I kick butts for a living, remember?" Emma said, a small smile on her face as she brushed some fallen brown locks from her son's face.

"You kick grown up butts," Henry muttered.

"Then I'll kick their parents' butts."

"Mom," Henry grumbled.

Emma sighed. "You've gotta talk to me, kid," she said while pulling her legs up on the bed to lie down.

"I don't wanna talk about it," he argued stubbornly.

"Listen, kid," Emma started, her voice laced with just a touch of firmness. "There have been very few times where I've had to play the mom card… we've always made decisions together, right?"

Henry nodded a bit.

"You and me against the world," Emma added, her smile growing.

"Yeah," Henry agreed, his voice faint.

"You're not in trouble, Henry," Emma said. "Not at all. You didn't do anything wrong… but we need to talk about what happened today… about what's been happening."

Henry's brows furrowed in confusion. "What's been happening?" he quesitoned.

Emma gave a lazy frown. "Your dreams, kid… what you've been writing… its just… I don't know what to do, Henry… " she said helplessly. "I thought you were just… I don't know, having a hard time adjusting to a new place, new school but its been a month and-" Emma's voice hitched in her throat. She closed her eyes… she just couldn't find more words. She didn't know how to explain her feelings, how to put her jumbled up thoughts into words.

"You know I've been writing… you didn't just find out today," Henry said accusingly while sitting up.

"No, I didn't," Emma agreed. "Henry, there's nothing wrong with it. You're having dreams. Everyone dreams… but what you've been writing… is that.. do you.."

"Is that what I believe?" he asked. "You think I'm crazy, don't you?"

"No, no, absolutely not," Emma denied.

"Then why are you asking me these questions?" He demanded angrily.

"Because I'm scared, Henry!" Emma argued back, her emotions getting the best of her "Because you're my kid! Because you're all I have! You mean everything to me and to see you so closed off from the rest of the world, to see you falling away from me… I just… I don't know what to do… I don't know how to make things better for you," Emma tried to explain, tears filling her eyes. "I want you to believe in fairy tales. I want you to believe in happily ever afters. You should. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise… that isn't what this is about… this is just.."

"You're worried about me," Henry deduced, his face haven fallen, the anger having dissipated from his voice.

Emma nodded.

Henry leaned forward, wrapping his arms around his mother, pressing his head to the crook of her neck.

Emma closed her eyes. She held her son tight while putting a kiss to the top of his head.

"Why am I having these dreams, mom?" he asked, his voice full of desperation. "Every night I see the fairy tales… but they're different."

Emma didn't know. She really didn't…. dreams were just dreams. She wanted to believe that. But for him to be having such detailed dreams, night after night… for him to be able to remember everything scene… she was at a loss. She didn't know.

"They're just dreams, Henry," Emma said, despite what her mind was telling her.

"So I should ignore them?"

"No," Emma argued softly. "Keep writing. There's nothing wrong with keeping a dream journal. A lot of people do it. It's perfectly normal, kid."

"But-"

Emma pulled her son away just enough to find his eyes. "I used to do it too, when I was kid… I wish I still had them to show you, but I don't."

"Did you dream about fairy tales? Like how I see them?" he asked hopefully

Emma wished she could say yes, if only to comfort her son. But she wasn't going to lie to him. "No, I didn't. But that doesn't mean anything, Henry. Everyone is different."

Henry's face fell. "They made fun of me."

"At school?"

He nodded. "I came back from gym and the book was across the room. And my notebook… they tore it apart," he said angrily. "They were all laughing at me. I started crying... just like a little baby... but I couldn't help it."

"Oh, kid," Emma sighed at the tears that welled in his eyes.

"Please don't make me go back there," he begged.

"Come here," Emma said, opening her arms for a hug.

Henry fell into his mother's embrace, his temple leaning against her chest. He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself, taking comfort in his mom's arms.

"Everything's gonna be okay, kid. I promise," Emma vowed while holding him close.

_TBC…_

**Thoughts before you go? We'd love to hear em! Hope you enjoy! Btw, if you haven't already, check out my profile page where you'll find a link to really cool OUAT FB group called OUAT Fan Fiction & Creations… come join! :D**


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